CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE BUTTERCREAM

chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream & home-made royal icing violet

We were craving some chocolate here and seeing as I had leftover ganache in the freezer from the Macaron War, I thought I'd throw together some chocolate cupcakes to go with a chocolate buttercream.

chocolate cupcakes, eagerly awaiting decorations

The cupcake recipe I used has vegetable oil instead of butter in it and this makes for a moist cupcake that keeps well in the fridge. It stays moist for a few days and upon taking it out of the fridge to warm to room temperature for serving, it still tastes fresh and not dry and hard like a butter cupcake.

silky smooth chocolate ganache buttercream

The buttercream I made was kind of spur of the moment and I didn't measure too accurately. It turned out fabulous. The chocolate flavour pronounced was not too rich (like the ganache was) and the buttercream was smooth, silky and not cloyingly sweet.

the moist, tender chocolate cupcake's innards...perfect ratio of buttercream to cupcake

CAKEBRAIN'S CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

100 grams all purpose flour

225 grams granulated sugar

45 grams good quality cocoa powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t pink himalayan salt

1 egg

1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

1/2 cup (118 ml) buttermilk

1 t pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (118 ml) hot coffee

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare cupcake pans by lining with large paper liners. For this recipe you will need 18.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
• In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
• With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into cupcake liners only half-way full.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes and removes to cool completely on a rack.

CAKEBRAIN'S CHOCOLATE GANACHE BUTTERCREAM

6 oz (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (220 grams) confectioners' sugar
2 t milk
1/2 cup (118 ml) ganache

• In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy
• Sift the confectioners' sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time over the butter and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy
• Add 2 teaspoons of milk and continue beating to lighten the mixture
• Add the ganache to the buttercream and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth